Latest Updates from cropwatch.unl.edu

Now is the best time of year to begin your soybean cyst nematode management program — watch this episode of N Field to learn more about SCN testing and management best practices.

Learn more about the benefits and process of direct harvesting, a method favored by a growing number of western Nebraska producers for their upright bean varieties.

For producers interested in attending both extension workshops on Nov. 30, Saving by Using Manure on Crops will be immediately followed by Confronting Cropping Challenges at the Nielsen Center in West Point. During this highly interactive workshop, participants will learn the basics of how to sample manure and soil, decipher results to determine the available nutrients in manure, and calculate how much manure will be needed for next year's crop.

Nebraska's David Holding sorts popcorn on a light table in his Beadle Center lab. (Photo by Craig Chandler, University Communication and Marketing) A UNL research team has naturally bred new varieties of popcorn that outperform today’s most popular kernels in their intrinsic nutritional value and taste.

Free to attend, registration for the Nov. 21 workshop in Harrison is required. See details below. (Photo by Chabella Guzman) Set for Nov. 21, the workshop will feature discussion from Nebraska Extension Educator Jessica Groskopf, who will offer tools and strategies to create estate plans while avoiding common mistakes during the process.

Land Management Quarterly, presented by the Center for Ag Profitability, is free to attend and recorded for on-demand viewing. Watch previous recordings here. The November Land Management Quarterly webinar will cover recent findings from the 2023 USDA-National Agricultural Statistics Service county-level cash rent survey and trends in farm programs influencing operations across the state.

As rain, snow and wind throughout the fall and winter can reduce cornstalk quality, it's important for producers to adjust their supplementation programs accordingly. Extension educators review the impacts of weather on cornstalk quality and the benefits of grazing corn residue for both cattle and crop producers.

Historical crop production reports for Nebraska are available at USDA. Nebraska crop production forecasts continue to indicate a banner year for sorghum, at a 153% increase compared to 2022. Corn, sugarbeet and potato production is also up, while soybean production is slightly down.

Historical crop progress data for Nebraska is available at USDA. Soil moisture supplies and pasture conditions in Nebraska were on a downward trend as of Nov. 12. Corn and sorghum harvest remain on track, with less than 10% of each crop to be finished.

A section of field from a 99-acre plot in southwest Nebraska, which has experienced significant yield decline after terraces were built. In this article, Soil Health Exchange professionals identify some of the potential causes and solutions for low-yielding terraced fields. (Submitted photo) The Soil Health Exchange team shares insights and potential solutions for a southwest Nebraska farmer who has observed a significant yield decline in a field after terraces were built in 2010.

In this episode, Dr. Caro Cordova discusses the roots of her passion for soil, why soil health is critical for agriculture and steps producers in Nebraska and elsewhere can take to improve soil health.

Leaving stubble at the end of the growing season is a great way to catch snow, which will provide insulation to and prevent evaporation from the soil, protecting forages in the process. Extension educators review the nutritional value of cornstalk grazing and importance of leaving stubble at harvest to help build snow cover.

Historical crop progress data for Nebraska is available at USDA. As of Nov. 5, Nebraska winter wheat was in 50% good to excellent condition. Soybean harvest only progressed 3% from the prior week, standing at 95% complete.

USDA’s Agricultural Projections to 2033 report will be released in February 2024, and will feature full discussion of the commodity supply and use projections, and projections for farm income and global commodity trade. The tables to be released on Nov. 7 will include 10-year projections for major U.S. crops and livestock products.

Learn more about how to distinguish female Palmer Amaranth plants from their counterparts, and techniques for mitigating seed dispersal during corn harvest.

This farm succession webinar features discussion by Lisa Quist, the central regional vice president for Nationwide’s Land As Your Legacy® program, a division of the Nationwide Retirement Institute®. When it comes to transition planning, there is a close relationship between how well a family communicates and the probability of success. This webinar explores ways for families to communicate successfully.

All sessions of the 2024 Agricultural Outlook Forum will be livestreamed, and virtual attendance is free. See registration link below for more information. At the 2024 forum, more than 100 experts from government, industry and academia will share insights on commodity and food price outlooks, U.S. and global agricultural trade developments, agricultural innovations, climate change and the bioeconomy.

Richard Faflak, KZValve mechanical engineer, adjusts a valve at the annual Panhandle Agriculture Research and Technology Tour before a tour group goes by in June. (Photo by Chabella Guzman) The new value, created by KZValve of Greenwood, Nebraska, has self-power generating capabilities that could potentially be used in partial variable rate irrigation.

Nebraska Extension Educator Gary Stone counts bean loss after a combine has passed during harvest of an on-farm research study field in Alliance, Nebraska. An Alliance-based farmer recently finished his second season of research on the harvest management tool Pod Ceal, and Nebraska Extension educators are eager to share his results at the annual On-Farm Research Update meetings in early 2024.

All workshops during Ag SmartMoney Week are free to attend, but registration is encouraged. See details below. The series will include three in-person workshops across the state and seven online webinars covering topics related to risk management, estate and transition planning, land leasing and rental rates, human resources and technology.